What Trailer Should I Buy for My Kubota L3901?

[VaMushroomHunter]

Hey folks,
I'm looking for advice on what I should be looking for in a trailer so I can haul my L3901 behind my Chevy 3500 dump truck. The tractor will usually come with an LA-525 loader and a 6' wide rotary cutter (sometimes I might have the rotary cutter swapped out for a Woods BH75 backhoe).
Like most folks, I don't want to spend $$$ on a trailer that vastly exceeds my needs, but on the other hand I want to ensure that what I get can safely carry the load and is long enough to make it easy for me to balance the weight. The towing will be occasional, say once every few weeks, usually for distances not exceeding 20 miles round trip. I live in a part of Virginia where the ground is mainly flat with the occasional rolling hill.
Thanks!

 

[Bmyers]

My guess, you will need at least a 20ft trailer, more likely 22-24ft trailer.

Weight, without looking everything up, guessing you are under 10,000lbs and probably a 7,000lbs trailer would be to light when you deduct the trailer weight from the trailer.

So, 10K trailer at 24ft would be my guess, but I don't have the measurements or the weights of your setup.

 

[bx tractorjoe]

I would agree on the 24 foot. My l2501 with forks and finish mower does not fit right on my 18 foot car hauler. The mower hangs off the back about a foot.. the brush cutter is a few feet longer so..

My l2501 is about 3800 pounds with the loader and bucket or forks.. add 800 pounds for the mower.. id think you would be right around 5k with your tractor and attachments.. a 24 foot 10k car hauler is not going to be cheap unless it needs alot of work.. at least in my area.

 

[PaulL]

10 miles each way, you could drive in half hour each way? Cheaper than a trailer? Unless you need your dump truck there as well, in which case you now need two people.

 

[Cathy Liebchen]

10k and 20’ is fine

 

[Creature Meadow]

I friend of mine who is in a lease with me has a 18' dove tail car hauler. It is rated at 7K and the lease is about 30 miles round trip which we do 6 or 7 times a year.

With the loader on and a brush hog it hangs off the back about 2 feet. The disk about the same.

It does fine, it has brakes on the rear tires and it pulls well.

If I were buying one I would get a 20' dove tail. Would I spend an extra $1,000 or $1500 to get 2 more feet for my tractor and implements I haul, NO!

Would I spend say $500 to $800 I would. The extra 2' would allow better placement for balance and no implements would hang off.

Just some food for thought based on my last 5 years of hauling my tractor on a 18' trailer.

I'm looking one now, if I can find a 20' for $500 to $800ish more than a comparable 18' then that is what I'm planning on.

Again, the 18' does fine for my needs. I feel safe pulling it and with the exception of the implements hanging off a little it does a fine job.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I sure hope you're flagging the overhanging tractor parts ! Up here, you get caught withough flags is $1000+ fine...and of course a roadside inspection of both trailer AND pickup. if the pickup parking brake don't hold....be prepared for a LONG walk home as truck/trailer and tractor will be towed to the cop shop( $$$$).

 

[Bmyers]

Setting at work waiting for phone calls and did some quick number crunching

L3901 Weight (no fluids or loaded tires)-2778lbs; length-108 inches
LA 525 Weight-805lbs; length 63 inches
RCR1272 Weight-564lbs; length 110 inches including the tailwheel

So weight is 4,147 lbs with no fluids in the tractor and no loaded tires or wheel weights

Length of tractor and mower is 18.2 ft.

The bucket 60" weighs 181lbs and 20 inches of length, bringing our total to 4,328lbs and brings the length to 19.8 feet.

The number that is missing is the length of the loader arms to the front of the bucket. I don't have that number and I believe the 63 inches refers to the complete length of the arms. So, if it would stick out 2ft (me guessing) then that would bring your total length to 21.8 feet, so a minimum of 22ft trailer to not have any hanging off.

If you have ballast in your rear tires, good chance you will be approching the 5,000lbs mark for your setup. As far as the backhoe goes, my guess is 800-1,000lbs of weight which would add300-500lbs of weight on the tractor (mower would be removed and it weighs 564) so again around the 5,300-5,500lbs mark or a little more when you add the fluids.

I will be curious to see how close I was when you get your actual setup and can measure and weigh it.

 

[Cathy Liebchen]

I sure hope you're flagging the overhanging tractor parts ! Up here, you get caught withough flags is $1000+ fine...and of course a roadside inspection of both trailer AND pickup. if the pickup parking brake don't hold....be prepared for a LONG walk home as truck/trailer and tractor will be towed to the cop shop( $$$$).

Here you only have to flag if its more than 4 feet of overhang

 

[ayak]

Here’s the same footprint as a 3901 (is a 3301), sitting on a 20’ trailer.

Trailer itself is 2535# and everything sitting on it (including chains and binders) totals 5689#. As placed, tongue weight measured 1050# using a WeighSafe Hitch scale, built-in. Everything behind the truck is 8224#.

 

[Bmyers]

Here’s the same footprint as a 3901 (is a 3301), sitting on a 20’ trailer.

View attachment 48698 Trailer itself is 2535# and everything sitting on it (including chains and binders) totals 5689#. As placed, tongue weight measured 1050# using a WeighSafe Hitch scale, built-in, so everything behind the truck is 8224#.

So my numbers were really close, thanks!

 

[greg86z28]

Go 20' (or 22-24) and 10k rated.

When we looked at trailers, the build difference between a 7k and 10k was significant (bigger cross members and main rails).

 

[ShortMagFan]

10k and 20’ is fine

thank you for some Sanity in this thread

I’ve been researching trailers for my MX5800. The most telling thing to me was all the package deals you can find with an MX tractor with FEL and bucket, bush hog and another implement. They are all shown on the included 20’, 10k trailer. And thats a bigger tractor than the OP is asking about.

 

[Bmyers]

thank you for some Sanity in this thread

I’ve been researching trailers for my MX5800. The most telling thing to me was all the package deals you can find with an MX tractor with FEL and bucket, bush hog and another implement. They are all shown on the included 20’, 10k trailer. And thats a bigger tractor than the OP is asking about.

Who has been 'insane' in this thread?

 

[skeets]

ONE OTHER THING, you might want to speak to your Ins agent before you start hauling. I really dont know if it makes much of a difference but it would be nice to have all your bases coverd